Festival Models – Curated

There are several ways that festivals (both fringe festivals and other NYC festivals) determine the line-up of artists / shows for their festival. Over the next weeks we’ll be exploring some of these methods as a part of the blank canvas project.

Although not employed by any fringe festivals that we know of, here in NYC it’s important that we at least mention the Curated model, so that we can compare and contract our NYC festival with other NYC festivals. To us, for purposes of this blank canvas project, “curated” festivals are those that do not accept unsolicited applications at all. In other words, these are festivals that are curated in much the same way as an Artistic Director curates a regular season of shows at a subscription theatre.

This is how the majority of the larger more prestigious non-fringe festivals across the city are programmed> In New York, though, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t programming innovative work and emerging artists. Quite the opposite, they sometimes have the resources to bring some of the most experimental and large-scale work to the U.S. for all of us to enjoy. How do these curated festivals affect what NYC needs from a fringe festival in 2018 and beyond? Should FringeNYC be the “fringe” / alternative option to these festivals? Keep reading – and join us at a convening to discuss this topic!